Friday, July 9, 2004

I don't usually write my blog at the beginning of the day--there's usually nothing to report!  But I have discovered the greatest new movement: FreeCycle!  It's a nonprofit that started in Arizona, and it's basically a free want-ad system.  And when I say free, I mean free.  You post items you have to give away, or an item you're looking for.  People respond, either wanting what you have, or having what you want.  The catch, or rather lack-there-of, is that everyone is offering their stuff up for free.  It's a great way to recycle items like furniture, clothes, books, anything.  I saw someone had offered up old parts for a washing machine.  Hey, someone might want them!

Go to FreeCycle and see if there's a chapter set up in your town/county. If not, you could start one.  Hey, it could be a great way to get rid of extra zucchini!

On the Habitat front, I've been trying to brainstorm up activities and events (again).  I'm thinking about trying to arrange a mass can drive event for the city.  It would take place in the fall, and I think to maximize the potentional donations what we would need to do is set up various drop-off spots (including the Five Cents Redemption Center, of course) spread around Worcester.  We would need volunteers to help man those spots (so that the cans don't get taken by anyone else, if for no other reason).  And then, after a certain allotted time, we'd either have Five Cents come around and collect the cans, or we would have the drop-off site volunteers bring them in.  I think it would be great!  We should probably wait for school to start, in order to get the college student contingent.  Ooh... plans are forming.....

I should stop doing this and go work on my Can Extravaganza!
Jenny's
AmeriCorps/Nonprofit Blog
Tuesday, July 6, 2004                              

                                WAHOO!

Hooray for the John Squared Ticket!  It's a Kerry/Edwards race and it will be awesome!  I am thrilled, obviously.  I was absolutely terrified that Kerry would choose Gephardt and I think that would have been doom.  DOOM!  I mean Kerry/Gephardt would have been to hand the White House to the Republicans for another four years.  Can you imagine another four years of Bush?  I can, and it gives me shivers.

On the Habitat front, well, to go back to Edwards again, he will help keep issues to the forefront that will benifit Habitat's target population (not that Habitat deals in politics, not at all, but we know who are friends are)..

On the non-political Habitat front, I've been doing a lot of housekeeping, still catching up from when I was gone, updating committee files with meeting minutes, etc.  The kind of putsy, organizational stuff that can be nicely theraputic sometimes.  A good start to the week.

Unfortunately, the short-notice nature of Habitat is making it difficult for me to find volunteers willing to prepare our newsletter for mailing within the next day or so.  ::sigh::  I really don't want to have to do it myself!

Had an enjoyable 4th on Crane Beach in Massachusetts, after taking a wrong turn and ending up in New Hampshire.  But it was a small price to pay for a beautiful day at the beach.  :-)

There's been quite a lot of drama in our neighborhood lately.  Sarah and I watched a couple of shouting matches--at two different houses--in the span of two nights.  One of them involved a prostitue, who apparently lives on our street.  Boy, I'm learning so much by being an AmeriCorps!  God bless the America that gives me such opportunities.  :-)
Here it is: the continuing saga of my experience as an AmeriCorps Vista volunteer in Worcester, Massachusetts.  I would love to hear from any other AmeriCorps volunteers or nonprofit employees--especially volunteer coordinators.  Email me--tell me what you think, or share your own experiences.  Together we'll survive this crazy nonprofit world!
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Thursday, July 8, 2004

Here's a quiz that everyone should check out: George Rex.  I found it on Mother Jones.com  I liked it so much that I printed it out.

Now, I realize that some people have made up their minds, and will not change them no matter how many facts they are presented with (ahem, Mr. Bush?). But if the Bush Administration can keep repeating the same lies over and over again in the hopes of convincing the public, than we can also keep repeating the truth over and over.  The top ten Bush lies, and the truth behind them.

A straw pole taken this morning on WPR--Wisconsin Public Radio--indicated that the NPR-listening sector of the Wisconsin public is pulling for Kerry/Edwards!  Hooray, Wisconsin!  We're a lot smarter state than people give us credit for.  :-)